Window cleaner



April 15, 1924. 1,490,616

w. A. LUNDQUIST v WINDOW CLEANER Filed Feb. v, 1923 [11 145117271 W flfwmnmnnn -u UNITED STATES WILLIAM A. LUNDQUIST,

PATENT QFFICE.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

'wnwnow cnmnnn.

Application filed Il'ebrnry 7, 1828. Serial Il'o. 617,621.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM ALFRED LUNDQUIST, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a WindowCleaner, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in window cleaner for street carwindows and the like wherein squilgees are carried by endless chains tosimultaneously clean both sides of a pane.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an im roved device tofacilitate the cleaning and c earing to vision through car windows andthe like.

Another object is to provide an improved device wherein both sides ofthe window may be cleaned simultaneously.

A further object is to provide a device which may be installed upon carwindows of the character in common use without interfering with theordinary movement of such window.

Another object is to provide a device of simple and durable constructionwhich may be readilly installed upon existing Windows without marringthe outward appearance thereof.

I accomplish these, and other objects by means of the device disclosedin the drawings forming a part of the preseht specification, whereinlike characters of reference are used to designate similar partsthroughout said specification and drawings and in which,

Fi 1 is a front elevation of a street car showing the application of myinvention thereto.

Fig. 2 is a broken enlarged vertical section'of the window taken uponthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1 in the direction indicated.

Fig. 3 is a broken front elevation of a ortion of the window frame,parts being roken away and shown in section to show the manner in whichthe sprockets are mounted.

.the band in place.

thereof through which the driver observes his course. The accumulationof moisture upon the window is, as is well known, a source of greatdanger both to the occupants of the car and to persons crossing itscourse. To facilitate the removal of such accumulated moisture so thatthe window may be kept clean and clear without material inconvenience tothe driver of the car I provide squilgees 3 and 4 upon the inner andouter sides of the window respectively. The squ l ees are normallyarranged to occupy posltions at o posite ends of the window and arecarrie by common actuating members so that a movement of one from top tobottom will cause a corresponding movement of the other squilgee frombottom to top in a manner hereinafter more fully described.

In the referred construction disclosed in the drawings the frame 6 ofthe window is recessed as at 7 at top and bottom adjacent the sides ofthe pane and notches 8 are formed upon the frame along the edge of thepane upon the inner and outer surfaces of the pane. A transverse bore 9communicates with each recess 7 to admita sprocket 11 provided withhearing portions 12 and 13, one of which engages a counter bore 14formed in the back of the recess 7 and the other a recess 16 formed inthe end of a plug 17 arranged to be inserted into the bore 9 to retainthe sprocket in position and to normally enclose the same within therecess 7 Endless chains 18 are mounted over the sprockets at each sideof the window to extend alon opposite sides of the pane adjacent the eges thereof. Rods 19 are secured between the chains 18 in any suitablemanner to extend across the pane, one of said rods being arranged tonormally occupy a position at the top of the pane, and the other to occuy a correspondlng position at the bottom 0 the pane upon the other sidethereof. Arcuate rubber bands 20 are secured upon the rods to form thesquilgees above referred to, said bands, being preferably formed frommaterial slightly more than half round and havin a corres onding concaveoove of a dlameter sllghtly less than the iameter of the rods 19 so thatwhen the band isslightly spread the rod 19 will be admitted into thegroove and the contraction of the rubber Wlll tend to hold Cement orother securing means may, of course, be applied between the band and therod to prevent any dis lacement of the band relative to the The outerconvex surface of the bands are arranged to engage the surfaces of thewindow pane so that when the squ1lgee 1s moved in either directionaccumulated moisture will be wiped simultaneously from both sides ofthe-pane and the glass thus cleaned and the vision cleared.

Strips 21 are secured in the notches 8 formed upon the frame, saidstrips being arranged to lie flush with the outer surface of the frameand extending past the chams 18 to normally enclose the same and toengage the outer sides of the squilgees. The notching of the edges ofthe frame to receive the strips 21 is important for the reason provisionmust be made to avoid increasingthe thickness of the frame which isordinarily arranged to be moved into a recess in the front of the car.By setting the strips into the notches 8 no increase in thiclmess iscaused and the window may thus be operated in the usual manner withoutany interference by the application of my invention thereto. The strips21 erform a further duty in maintaining t e squilgees in operativecontact with the window pane. The strips 21 are arranged to engage theback of the squilgees at each end thereof, so that when moved thereunderthe rubber bands 20 will be held against the pane. In operation, theinner squilgee is normall positioned at either extreme position. hen itis desired to remove moisture from the window, the inner squilgee isgrasped by the driver of the car and moved to its extreme position, suchmovement causing the actuating chains to be moved over their respectives rockets and the outer squilgee thereby move from its normal positionat the opposite edge of the window to its other extreme position, thetwo squilgees being thus moved simultaneously to remove accumulatedmoisture from both sides of the pane. The s uilgees may then beimmediately returne to the original position, or remain in the movedos'ition until moisture has again accumul ated upon the window at whichtime a movement in the opposite direction to the starting position willresult in a clearing of the vision. It is ordinarily preferable to keepthe inner squilgee at the bottom of the pane and the outer squilgee atthe top so that when moved to clear the pane the heavy collection ofmoisture upon the'outer side will be moved downwardly, the lighter accumulation of moisture due to the condensation of moisture from the airupon the inner side of the pane being readily removed by the upwardmovement of the. squilgee.

While I have shown what I now consider to be the preferred constructionof the device, it is of course, subject to modification in numerous wayswithout departing from the irit of my invention. In similar manner, is edevice may be applied to the drivers windows of locomotives, ferryboats, and other conveyances wherein windows mounted in wooden framesare provided. I, therefore, do not desire to restrict myself closely tothe precise details of construction and application, but wish to availmyself of such modifications as may fall within the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a window cleaner, the combination with a window frame, recessesformed at the top and bottom adjacent the sides thereof and transversebores communicatin between the recesses and the edges 0 the frame, ofsprockets mounted within the recesses, said sprockets each beingprovided. with bearing portions extending outwardly from both sidesthereof one of which ortions is rotatably engaged within a ore formed atthe back of the recess; plugs adapted for insertion into the transversebores to engage the other bearing portion of the adjacent sprocket, andto enclose the sprockets within the frame; endless chains mounted overthe sprockets at each side of the frame; and squilgees mounted betweenthe chains upon the inner and outer sides of the frame for movementacross a pane mounted within the frame.

2. In a window cleaner, the combination with a window frame havinrecesses formed at the top and bottom a jacent the sides thereof andtransverse bores communicating between the recesses and the edges of theframe, of sprockets mounted within the recesses, said sprockets eachbeing provided with hearing portions. one of which portions is rotatablyengaged within a bore formed at the back of the recess; plugs adaptedfor insertion into the transverse to engage the outer bearing portion ofthe adjacent sprocket and to enclose the sprockets within the frame;endless chains mounted over the sprockets adjacent the sides of a panesecured within the frame; squilgee connected between the chains uponopposite sides of the pane; and strips mounted within notches formed inthe sides of the frame, said strips being set flush with the surface ofthe frame to permit mani ulation of the frame in opening and closing,and extending over the chains to enclose said chains and to enga theends of the squilgees whereby said squfi gees are held in engagementwith the an. for cleaning the same when moved t ereacross.

In witness whereof I hereunto set my signature.

WILLIAM A. LUNDQUIST.

